asked the Minister of Works how many of the grace and favour houses being administered by his Department remained unoccupied throughout the years 1943 and 1944. respectively.

I am not responsible for the allocation of grace and favour apartments. I understand that there were 14 unoccupied in 1943 and 29 in 1944.

asked the Minister of Works why he agreed to participate in the sale of a private estate, namely, Mawley Hall, Shropshire, and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to Questions on this subject today.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now consider the publication of pictorial stamps for ordinary use in the United Kingdom.

The high value stamps which are in ordinary use in this country, and the stamp on the 6d. air letter form, already include pictures. Pictorial designs are also used in some of our special issues. The permanent series low value stamps are, for general convenience, produced in a size which does not permit the satisfactory combination of a pictorial design with a dominant portrait of the Queen.

asked the Postmaster-General what policy dictates the setting up of new sub-post offices on new housing estates.

Our aim is to maintain a balance between service to the public and reasonable economy. In trying to do this, we take into account distances between post offices, the number and position of the houses and shops in each area, the nature of the journey to the nearest office, and the possible needs of old age pensioners.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now state more precisely when he expects to receive the Report of the Committee on broadcasting.

The Committee is now engaged in drafting its Report and I am hoping to receive it soon after Easter. Preparations for publication will then be made without delay so that the House may have the Report as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for the installation of telephones are still outstanding in the Garforth and Selby Urban Districts, respectively; and how these figures compare with a year ago.

In Garforth at the end of February there were 25 applications outstanding and a further 30 under inquiry or in course of being met; in Selby the figures were 42 and 9 respectively. A year earlier, in Garforth the figures were 20 and 40 and in Selby 27 and 15.In the past 12 months 96 telephones were installed in Garforth and 88 in Selby.

asked the Postmaster-General how many outstanding applications there were for telephones in the West Riding of Yorkshire at the last convenient date and how many there were on the corresponding date in 1957.

At the 31st December, 1961, there were 2,363 applications outstanding and a further 4,928 were under inquiry or in course of being met. The figures for 31st December, 1957, were 5,248 and 3,805 respectively.In the past 12 months nearly 24,000 telephones were installed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the £1,700 million spent annually on defence is spent on materials and wages, respectively; how many civilians are employed on the production and transport of armaments; how long he estimates it would take to absorb these into non-military production; what study is being made of this problem; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to Annex II of the Defence White Paper, which shows that pay and allowances of Service personnel and civilians in 1962–63 are estimated at £611 million. Defence production and research is estimated at £705 million.As regards the other parts of the Question, the number in manufacturing industry employed on defence work is estimated at approximately 400,000. There is no record of the number engaged in defence work in the transport industries. The time taken to absorb these numbers into non-military production would depend entirely upon the timing of the process of disarmament which made this transition possible. As regards studies of the subject, the United Kingdom has co-operated in the review now being carried out by the United Nations on the economic and social consequences of disarmament.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply he has made to the letter sent to him by the Corporation of Glasgow on the subject of the abolition of the tax on fuel oil.

My right hon. Friend has acknowledged the Corporation's letter and noted their views. I cannot of course say anything further at this time of the year.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation whether he will consider favourably the request of the School of Administration at Zaria for money for the purchase of a number of law books.

I understand that the British Council are helping to supply books on public administration and social science. I also understand that the Principal of the School has received, from other sources, promises and offers of help with the supply of law books that are likely to meet his needs.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what new steps he is taking to integrate and promote the recruitment of British technical teachers for service in the Commonwealth.

The terms of reference of the new Council for Technical Education and Training for Overseas Countries, referred to in my reply on 15th March to my hon. Friend the Member for King's Lynn (Mr. Bullard), require it to promote and where appropriate to undertake recruitment of staff for service overseas; and I am arranging for requests for technical teachers received in my Department to be referred to the Council for action. I am sure that the new Council and its Secretariat will play a major part both in the day-to-day business of recruitment and in helping to provide contacts between those concerned with technical education in this country and the authorities overseas who have posts to fill.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent it is the policy of his Department to grant licences for the export to Cuba of goods listed in the first schedule to the Exports of Goods (Control) Order, 1960, as amended, as freely as such licences are granted to any West European country.

All applications for licences to export goods listed in this schedule to any country are considered individually on their merits.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many men and women, respectively, were employed in Government-financed factories in Sunder land at the latest available date.

At November, 1961, 2,787 males and 3,580 females were employed in these factories, making a total of 6,367. This is approximately one thousand more than in November, 1960.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a further statement on the two projects in Sunderland for which assistance had been approved in June but which were in abeyance in December, 1961.

The company responsible for one of these projects is still considering whether to proceed with a modified scheme. The company responsible for the other has substantially altered its plans; its revised application for assistance is now under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make it clear in all future Government statements relating to the increase of production in this country that an increase of production for the purpose of making this country more self-supporting and eliminating the need for unnecessary imports is just as necessary as an expansion of production for the purpose of increasing exports.

No. It would not make economic sense to increase domestic production in order to save imports unless the goods could be produced here more cheaply and more efficiently than they can be bought from abroad. Our prosperity depends on the expansion of international trade, and trade must be a two-way process.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is proposing to take about the import of butter into the United Kingdom after the current six-month period of restraint of shipments by exporting countries ends on 31st March.

I hoped that, during the current period of restraint, the countries concerned would agree upon any further short-term measures which were necessary, but these hopes have been disappointed. In the absence of internationally agreed arrangements, the New Zealand dairy industry would be likely to suffer material injury from dumped or subsidised exports to the United Kingdom. Therefore, Her Majestys Government have decided to restrict imports of butter into the United Kingdom for the period of twelve months beginning 1st April; licences will be issued for the import of up to 390,000 long tons.The general import policy of Her Majesty's Government remains unchanged by this exceptional action.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science for what reason the recent application by the Director of the Jodrell Bank Experimental Station for a grant of £100,000 to cover the cost of the Mark 3 telescope at that station has been refused.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research have not made a grant for this project from the funds available because they decided to give priority to two other large applications in the field of radio-astronomy, one being the new Mark 2 radio telescope for Jodrell Bank and the other a triple paraboloidal telescope for Professor Ryle of Cambridge University.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science whether the fall-out consequences of the massive Russian atmospheric nuclear explosions have now been calculated; to what extent the danger to the population from these tests has been over-estimated; and whether such experiments are now considered relatively harmless so far as genetic effects are concerned.

I would refer the right hon. Member to my statement to the House on 23rd November, 1961.Measurements of iodine 131 in milk supplies have shown that in no region of the country has more than 25 per cent. of the annually acceptable radiation dose from this source been exceeded and that present levels of iodine 131 in milk are negligible. In the case of strontium 90 the most recent evidence tends to confirm the prediction that the amounts of this isotope in human bone are unlikely, as a result of the recent Russian test series, to approach the level regarded as the maximum permissible.The genetic effects which may result from the recent Russian tests are likely to be comparable to those incurred from the test explosions which had taken place up to the end of 1958. The Medical Research Council have concluded that these effects are likely to be very few by comparison with those arising in the population from other causes, but the occurrence of even a relatively small number of genetic effects in successive generations is bound to be a matter for concern.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what research stations for agricultural purposes there are in Wales and Monmouthshire, Scotland and England, respectively.

The following is a list of the state-aided agricultural research institutes and of the Agricultural Research Council's institutes, which, irrespective of their situation, undertake research for agriculture throughout Great Britain.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what plans he has for obtaining further information on the national effort in scientific research and development.

The Advisory Council on Scientific Policy has recommended that a new national survey of resources devoted to research and development should be undertaken for 1961–62 comparable with previous surveys in 1955–56 and 1958–59. Apart from the desirability of holding these surveys at triennial intervals, a new survey at the present time will enable comparison to be made with data on qualified manpower available from the manpower survey of January, 1962, and from the ten per cent. sample in the Census of population of April, 1961. My noble Friend has therefore authorised this survey, and questionnaires will be sent out later this month. The Board of Trade has agreed to conduct the inquiry in the industrial sector. The results of the survey will be reported to the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when the report on the proposed new town at Dawley will be ready: and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when the local authorities in The Wrekin division will be informed of his decision on the proposal to build a new town in the area of Dawley for 60,000 people.

My right hon. Friend has only recently received the report on the possibilities and the problems of developing Dawley as a new town. It is being examined, and a statement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has yet made any decision about the new town for the Birmingham conurbation; and when he expects to make an announcement thereon.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to the hon. Members for Ladywood (Mr. V. Yates) and The Wrekin (Mr. W. Yates).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that elected representatives on county, borough, and urban district councils, who live in council houses, are prevented from speaking and voting on housing questions when these come before the councils, and are thereby prevented from carrying out the duties for which they have been elected; and if he will now take steps to remove this inhibition.

It would not serve the interests or the reputation of local government to tamper with the principle that members of local authorities should neither speak nor vote on matters in which they have a pecuniary interest, whether that interest arises from tenancy of a council house or in other ways. But members who live in council houses may take full part in the many housing questions in which they have no pecuniary interest. Where such interests do arise, my right hon. Friend is always ready to consider sympathetically applications for dispensation to speak, provided that the interest is not special to the individual member. Dispensations to vote are given only in exceptional circumstances.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects approval to be given to the flood control scheme for the Dewey Road area of Dagenham.

Only part of this scheme has so far been submitted, and my right hon. Friend cannot consider it adequately without the remainder. This the borough council are now preparing and they hope to submit it in three or four months' time. A decision will then be given as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether planning permission has been given for the extraction of sand and gravel deposits within the Green Belt area near Four Ashes, Staffordshire.

The local planning authority says that such an application for permission has been made, but that no decision has yet been given.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that land purchased by local authorities is being sold to private persons at a higher price than that which was given for it; and if he will take powers to ensure that the original owners of such land are always given first refusal.

Local authorities disposing of surplus land are in general expected to do so at the best price obtainable. They were asked in the Department's Circular No. 48/59 to give careful consideration to requests by former owners to buy back surplus land.In the particular case which the hon. Member has in mind, the land was bought under housing powers and will be used by the purchasers for building houses. Since buying it the local authority have incurred heavy expenditure in providing roads, sewers and other services and have transformed undeveloped land into a building estate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what representation he has received from Morpeth Rural District Council concerning the public danger of barbed wire and antitank traps at Cresswell; what action is being taken to clear the area; and whether he will make a statement.

The Council have asked if steps could be taken to remove these temporary defence works, and we are in touch with them. My right hon. Friend has explained to them the conditions under which financial assistance can be given towards the cost of restoring the land.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects to receive his inspectors' findings in regard to the siting of a petrol filling station and showrooms on the Lakeside Estate, Cardiff.

My right hon. Friend expects to issue his decision shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what was the total amount of interest charges payable by local authorities in each of the past five years; and what is the estimated amount for 1962–63.

The total payments of interest by local authorities in England and Wales for the years 1957–58, 1958–59 and 1959–60 were £192·6 million, £211·2 million and £225·7 million respectively. I estimate that the figures for 1960–61 and 1961–62 are about £256 million and £290 million. The forecast for 1962–63 is still provisional but I expect an increase over the previous year of the order of 7 per cent.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the number of houses demolished or closed by local authorities during 1961 for the purpose of slum clearance, new roads and other planning purposes, respectively.

In 1961, 64,330 houses were demolished or closed by local authorities under slum clearance powers. Separate figures are not available for houses demolished for new roads and other planning purposes, but about 10,000 houses were removed to make way for other development of all kinds.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the number of slum clearance projects of which the Manchester Corporation have notified his Department; and if he will publish a table showing the designation, the dates of declaration by the Manchester Corporation, the dates of submission to his Department for confirmation, the dates of the holding of the public inquiries, and the dates of his final decisions.

The following is the information asked for, listed under the compulsory

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the number of local authorities who have

This information is not available. I am always ready to consider sympathetically applications to me to remove these disabilities where the number of members who would otherwise be debarred from voting makes likely the adoption of a policy to which the majority are opposed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what conclusions have been reached at the Zanzibar Constitutional Conference regarding the date on which independence will be inaugurated.

The Conference opened only yesterday and no conclusions have yet been reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the Kenya Constitutional Conference.

As the Conference is still continuing, I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes) on 13th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to licensing cinemas under the proposals to reorganise London government.

This matter is under examination.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chiefs have been dismissed or have resigned since the last general election in Nyasaland; and how these figures compare with an equal period of time before that general election.

One chief has been dismissed and six have resigned since the general election last August. There were no dismissals or resignations in the equivalent period before the election.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are taken to see that textiles and garments imported from areas of the world known to be subject to infectious diseases are properly cleaned and rendered safe before they are sold to the public in Great Britain.

Port health authorities have power to examine and disinfect goods coming from infected areas if they believe these to be a threat to public health.

asked the Minister of Health what was the basis of the statement in his Medical Officer of Health's Report for 1960 that the net inward balance of immigration for 1960 was estimated to exceed the natural increase for that year.

I regret that this statement was erroneous. A correction will be included in the corresponding Report for 1961. It is estimated that during the calendar year 1960 the net inward balance of migration into England and Wales (including movement from Scotland and Northern Ireland) was 120,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the number of local offices working for his Department, the total cost of maintaining them, and the number of persons employed therein.

Including war pensions offices, my Department has 1,034 local offices in Great Britain, of which 163 are inquiry offices. The annual cost of maintaining and running them is about £25 million, including expenditure on salaries, operating costs such as travelling, telephones and postage, and overheads such as superannuation and accommodation. On 1st March last there were 23,952 staff in post.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the Commission of Inquiry into Drift Netting for Salmon at Sea to start work.

I understand that the Committee on Scottish Salmon and Trout Fisheries propose to hold their first meeting on 26th March. 1962.

asked the Minister of Education how many untrained teachers are at present employed by the local authorities; how many of them have served as teachers for periods of over ten years; and what facilities exist for such persons to acquire training.

In March, 1961, there were 39,996 untrained full-time teachers of all kinds in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools. Of these 32,567 were qualified teachers by virtue of degrees or other qualifications and of the remainder 1,127 were occasional teachers. I do not know the number employed for over ten years, but 8,883 were first employed before 1945. Untrained teachers may take courses of training at colleges of University Departments of Education and, although I cannot give precise figures, a good number, particularly temporary teachers, do so each year.

asked the Minister of Education which local education authorities do not employ youth service officers or the equivalent.

The authorities are Isles of Scilly, Rutland, Blackburn, Canterbury, Dewsbury and Flintshire. I understand that Dewsbury Local Education Authority hope to appoint a youth officer shortly.

asked the Minister of Education how many students are now attending the national college for the training of youth leaders.

109 men and 28 women.

asked the Minister of Education which denominational youth organisations are now on the ordinary grant list.

The following organisations with denominational allegiance are now on the ordinary grant list. They receive grant in respect of their social and educational work for young people in the 14–20 age range.

Association for Jewish Youth.

Church of England Youth Council.

Free Church Federal Council (Youth Dept.).

Methodist Association of Youth Clubs.

Provincial Youth Council of the Church in Wales.

Young Christian Workers.

Church Lads Brigade.

Girls' Friendly Society.

asked the Minister of Education what consideration he has given to allowing children two attempts, between the ages of 10 and 12 years, at the eleven-plus examination.

This is a matter best left to the local education authorities, but I do not consider it would be good for the children or the schools to test large numbers of children for selection a year early.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will publish the latest percentages of young employees in the engineering and shipbuilding industries granted day-release for England and Wales and for Scotland, and the comparable figures for the last three years.

The table below gives the number of students aged under 18 at the end of May in the last four years released by employers in the engineering and shipbuilding industries to attend day courses in grant-aided establishments of further education and shows what percentage they are of all employees in the same age group, in